Helen Meurs - the Puppet Power Pioneer

I am an experienced teacher and coach, known for my pioneering work on the use of the hand puppet as a pedagogical and educational tool. Since the start of my career as a teacher in 1994, I have been experimenting with the power of the hand puppet to challenge children to show more of themselves, make learning more fun and stimulate their development. The glove puppet has given me a lot of insight into children and it has become my mission to help other teachers and professional educators use the unique power of the puppet. I was the founder and owner of, under my leadership, the largest puppet advice center in the Netherlands and have become the go-to person in the field, as a facilitator of training and courses with several publications to my name.

I offer a unique mix of playful involvement and practical skills, using my experience as a teacher with young children and my knowledge of play, communication, trauma, language and social-emotional development. My expertise lies in promoting social-emotional and language development through child-oriented communication. In my approach, the role of you as the adult transforms via the puppet into an equal conversation partner with whom the child wants to share more and shows himself differently. My approach revolves around seeing and using possibilities, where the child always plays a central role.

I have achieved numerous milestones that underline my influence and credibility. Between 2000 - 2023 I published in almost all leading Dutch educational magazines. Between 2004 - 2019 I was the driving force behind handpop.nl - the largest hand puppet webshop in the Netherlands, in which I not only sold puppets, but also provided training on how to use the hand puppet as a pedagogical tool at home, in the classroom or in care. I have written 2 books on this subject and created numerous blogs and videos. In 2019, I launched the Professional Training for Certified Hand Puppet Coaches, making an important contribution to the professionalization of this learning tool.

My educational journey started with training as a social worker and continued with the drama teacher training and later the training as a primary school teacher. Then I started studying pedagogy at university. My academic background combined with all the training and life experiences I have gained have become the basis of an innovative approach to child and relationship-oriented education and professional development for teachers.

Currently based in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, I am immersed in a vibrant, multicultural environment that gives me a better understanding of the importance of communication, compassion and acceptance of differences. Although Dutch is my native language, I have started to translate my work and courses into English to reach a wider audience. My goal is to inspire teachers and professional educators worldwide to start using the puppet, and to help them use the puppet to build bridges to children who they cannot currently reach or who have difficulty expressing themselves. I hope to bring about a positive and playful revolution in the way they connect with children.